American Indian Katsinam* Art

Dan Namingha
American, Tewa-Hopi born 1950
Song of Rain 1991
Acrylic on canvas
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Dan Namingha
(in the Palms Springs Museum of Art)

*KATSINAM
For the Hopi, Katsinam (Kachinas) exist in three forms: spirits, masked dancers and dolls. The spirits act as intermediaries between the supernatural and Mortal worlds, fostering fertility, growth and well-being. Doll versions, traditionally carved by men from cottonwood root, are given to women and especially girls as a a blessing. They have no bases, but are meant to be hung on home walls. Katsina figures are represented in many Hopi art forms including woven plaques, pottery and jewelry and in the contemporary paintings of Dan Namingha and the sculptures of Arlo Namingha.